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Safari Tour, Kenya: Masai Mara (Lions) + Amboseli (Elephants) + Diani Beach, Mombasa

Classic Kenya Tour: Masai Mara + Amboseli + Diani Beach
KYA12N

12 NIGHTS

FROM $3,824

Per person sharing

Flights quoted separately

This small group safari tour in Kenya visits 3 world class game reserves - the open plains of the Masai Mara, famous for its lions and plains game; Lake Nakuru with its rhino & giraffe; and Amboseli renowned for its large herds of elephants & views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Complete your holiday relaxing on glorious Diani Beach on the warm Mombasa south coast. Tour departs once a week (group size 2 to 7), with guaranteed window seat.

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• Safari Tour, Kenya	• Masai Mara Game Reserve	• Lions & Cheetah	• Lake Nakuru
• Lake Naivasha	• Amboseli Game Reserve	• Mount Kilimanjaro	• Elephants
• Diani Beach	• Mombasa South Coast

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• Safari Tour, Kenya	• Masai Mara Game Reserve	• Lions & Cheetah
• Lake Nakuru	• Lake Naivasha	• Amboseli Game Reserve
• Mount Kilimanjaro	• Elephants	• Diani Beach
• Mombasa South Coast

Day 1

You will be met at Nairobi Airport and transferred to your hotel in this bustling city.

Check in and relax in your warm and friendly African surroundings.

Day 2

This morning we visit the Giraffe Centre. Founded by Betty & Jock Leslie-Melville to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffe from extinction, this centre plays an important role in educating Kenyan school children on the country's wildlife and environment. It also allows visitors to come into close contact with the world's tallest species, including the opportunity to feed a gorgeous giraffe.

We then visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (open only from 11 to 12 noon). It took Daphne Sheldrick 28 years of trial and error to perfect the milk formula and complex husbandry required to rear orphaned African elephants, during the period that her husband was warden of Kenya's largest elephant sanctuary in Tsavo East National Park. Since then this sanctuary has gone on to save the lives of many orphaned elephant calves.

Afterwards enjoy a game drive in Nairobi National Park. This was the first national park created in Kenya and, despite its relatively small size and close proximity to the skyscrapers of the city, it boasts a large and varied wildlife population. Animals migrate to this park during the dry season, as it offers them a permanent source of water. You can hope to see lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino - but not elephant as the park is not large enough to sustain them. You can also see giraffe, zebra, eland, impala, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, warthog and ostrich in the woodlands and open plains, and hippo in the Mbagathi Athi River which is lined with fever and acacia trees. The park also has a very successful rhino sanctuary. A picnic lunch is included today.

Note: Visits to Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage can only be booked 90 days in advance and are subject to availability (maximum 100 visitors per day).

Day 3

We leave Nairobi early this morning and drive 5-hours across the scenic Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara, travelling in a safari jeep (with pop-up roof for game viewing and guaranteed window seat).

We pass through Kenya's fertile highlands and head down the rift escarpment on a road built by Italian prisoners during World War II. Look for the charming chapel they built at the foot of the escarpment. We pass the impressive Longonot earth satellite station and head across the valley to Narok, before reaching the Masai Mara in time for lunch.

Masai Mara National Reserve is named after the Maasai people and the Mara River that divides the park. It is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of zebra and wildebeest from the adjoining Serengeti National Park. This phenomenon occurs every year from July to October (although exact timings cannot be guaranteed), when game migrates along a circular route from the plains of the Serengeti to the Masai Mara and back again in search of fresh pastures, followed by hungry predators - most notably lions and hyena.

Check into your lodge in this magnificent wildlife sanctuary and enjoy an afternoon game drive.

Note: Due to limited space in the vehicle, rigid suitcases are not suitable. Luggage needs to be packed in soft side bags (sports bags are ideal) not exceeding 15 kg and 65 x 46 cm. On escorted group tours please note that for operational reasons it is sometimes necessary to substitute one hotel with another of similar quality.

Day 4

Today is dedicated to game viewing on the open plains of the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve.

Start the day with an early ‘Bush Breakfast’ by the Mara River Hippo Pools. Enjoy a charming ‘Jambo’ from the chefs and Masai warriors as you are welcomed to your set breakfast buffet. The hippos will keep you company whilst you eat. After breakfast set off on your morning game drive when game viewing conditions are at their best, to view the abundant wildlife of this region. Return to the lodge to rest in the heat of the day, before setting off again in the late afternoon for another game drive. We also visit a local Masai Village to see their way of life.

Nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara is famous for its many prides of lions, packs of hyena and other predators - as well as huge herds of wildebeest, which number over one million, zebra and giraffe. All the Big Five can be seen here, as well as numerous other species including the Thomson's gazelle, topi, kongoni, impala, roan antelope and hippo. The nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely found elsewhere in Kenya, also inhabits this park as well as the endangered cheetah and black rhino.

Bird watching is also excellent with over 450 different species. These include the Marabou stork, Secretary bird, Crowned crane, Ostrich, Brown snake eagle, Black-chested snake eagle, Bateleur, Martial eagle, African paradise flycatcher, Red-fronted & White-headed barbet, Black-faced go-away bird, Woodland kingfisher, Violet-backed starling, Black cuckoo-shrike and various species of larks, cisticolas, vultures, hornbills and so much more.

Note: There is the option of a Hot Air Balloon ride today - contact us for current prices. Guests taking the hot air balloon ride will not have breakfast at the hippo pools but instead enjoy a bush breakfast.

Day 5

A full day on the road today as we travel 5-hours from the Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru in the heart of the Great Rift Valley.

We drive across the 'bread basket' of Kenya, where acres of wheat and barley cover the landscape towards Narok, the district headquarters of this part of Maasailand. As we traverse the vast plains on the floor of the Rift Valley, keep an eye out for herds of giraffe and gazelle, before we head up towards Maai Mahiu and on to Lake Nakuru. We arrive at the lodge for lunch and a siesta before heading out for an afternoon game drive.

A soda lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, at certain times of the year Lake Nakuru National Park is home to huge throngs of pelicans and over 400 different bird species, including the Greater (white) and Lesser (pink) flamingo. The lake is also a haven for certain endangered species including the Rothschild giraffe and black and white rhino.

Day 6

A full day on the road today as we drive 7.5-hours to Amboseli.

After an early breakfast we visit Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in the heart of the spectacular Great Rift Valley. Enjoy a boat ride on the lake, with the opportunity to see hippo and over 400 different bird species.We then leave the Rift Valley behind and drive to Nairobi, where we stop for an early lunch (or picnic lunch, depending on road conditions).

Afterwards we continue 4-hours to Amboseli National Park, arriving in the late afternoon. Situated in southern Kenya, if the weather is clear this national park offers magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro in neighbouring Tanzania. Amboseli is best known for its great herds of elephant - you'll often find many of them standing knee deep in the water, spraying themselves to keep cool - but there is a lot of other game here including cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, many types of gazelle and other plains game.

Day 7

Rise early today for a game drive in Amboseli National Park, renowned for its large herds of elephants and where the local people are mainly Maasai.

In the early morning it is wonderful to see Mount Kilimanjaro hovering above the clouds. If the clouds clear, wildlife photography against this dramatic backdrop is particularly rewarding. With its dramatic contrast between dry savanna, fresh water swamps, salty plains and acacia forests, this sanctuary offers a fantastic array of birds and wildlife. You should see buffalo, black and white rhino, zebra, wildebeest and much more - as this low rainfall area is one of the best game viewing regions in the whole of Kenya.

Amboseli is also a haven for birding due to its many different habitats. Depending on the amount of rain that has fallen, you will find various water loving birds or other species on the salty plains. You can also hope to see a Martial eagle or Lappet-faced vulture.

Return to your lodge for lunch, before enjoying another game drive in the afternoon.

Day 8

After an early breakfast, enjoy your last views of Mount Kilimanjaro as we leave Amboseli and drive 4-hours to Nairobi Airport for your onward flight, and where your tour ends.

You will be met at Ukunda Airport on the south coast and transferred to your hotel in Diani Beach.

Check in to your resort on the shores of the sparkling Indian Ocean and relax in your warm beach surroundings.

Days 9 To 12

At leisure to relax and soak up the sun on warm Diani Beach.

Enjoy the lush tropical gardens of coconut trees, fan-shaped travellers palms and the vibrant blooms of hibiscus, bougainvilleas and frangipani - as well the splendid coastline. Various watersports are available, as well as many optional activities such as a snorkelling trip to Kisite Marine Park and Wasini Island, Mombasa city tour, scuba diving, deep sea fishing and golf.

Note: Please be aware that there will be 'beach boys' on the beach, trying to sell you excursions and trinkets. Don't be taken in by them and simply say 'No' very firmly. They are not allowed in the grounds of your hotel.

Day 13

Transfer 2-hours by road and local ferry to Mombasa Airport for your flight home.

Note: All inclusive programmes stop after check-out at 10 am, so you will need to pay for any food or drink consumed after this time.

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